Hi, I’m Whitney!

If you feel like your life is an endless attempt to lose weight, then you already know how my story goes…

I grew up in a slightly bigger body, casually absorbing the world’s message that thinness should be my goal. It wasn’t until middle school when the body shame finally kicked in and I fell down the slippery slope of dieting. I remember the feeling of starting my first diet… I was overjoyed with the thought of finally getting skinny. This is it! I’m doing it! I’m about to fix all my problems forever!

Hi, I’m Whitney!

If you’ve been dieting for a while, then you already know how my story goes…

I struggled with my weight from a young age, casually absorbing the world’s message that thinness should be my goal. It wasn’t until middle school when the body shame finally kicked in and I fell down the slippery slope of dieting. I remember the feeling of starting my first diet… I was overjoyed with the thought of finally getting skinny. This is it! I’m doing it! I’m about to fix all my problems forever!

I’m sure you know that’s not what happened. Eventually I finished the diet or got bored or something, gained all the weight back plus some, and quickly developed that all too familiar habit of trying a diet, breaking it, feeling ashamed, restricting food or trying a new diet, binge eating, rinse, repeat.

Even while I was in college to become a Dietitian, I was fully entrenched in the diet world. Most of what I was learning reinforced these mindsets, and I even started a nutrition blog. The blog motivated me to try new “healthy” recipes and be more honest about my history with weight loss, but it also made me hyper-focused on my body and ashamed whenever I would binge, like I had to hide it from the world.

I hated my body for years and used food as either punishment or reward. The way I felt about myself was dependent upon whether I was “good” or “bad” with food that day.

I always thought that hating my body was normal because everyone seemed to be doing it too. People always came to me for diets and advice, which reinforced this belief that everyone struggles with food and hates their bodies, but don’t worry because there is a perfect diet that will fix it all and I was going to be able to help them!

It wasn’t until I discovered Health at Every Size when I realized that I had it all backwards…

Our bodies aren’t the problem, the diet is.

That is why I am so passionate about helping women break up with dieting forever. Intuitive eating has changed my life, and it will change yours too.

I’m Whitney Catalano and I’m a Registered Dietitian specializing in intuitive eating for driven and passionate women who are ready to reclaim their life. I want you to see me as both a trusted professional and as a friend who gets it. Breaking up with dieting can feel really scary, but it is without a doubt one of the most courageous and empowering things you can do for yourself, and I’m here to support you every step of the way.

To learn more about my history with dieting and about intuitive eating, check out the video I made on my YouTube channel!

MY PHILOSOPHIES

Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating focuses on nourishing your body, eating for enjoyment, exercising intuitively, connecting with your body’s food preferences, hunger and fullness cues, and finding a weight that is effortless for your body. This approach to health follows a set of 10 principles that teach you how to reject diet culture, heal negative body image, abandon restriction habits, and learn positive self-talk.

Healthy Goals & Habits

There are always things we want to change, whether it’s the way we talk to ourselves, the protection mechanisms that no longer serve us, or the routines we mindlessly fall into over the years. When I work with clients, I take a compassionate approach to these topics, encouraging you to acknowledge, appreciate, and understand triggers and coping mechanisms rather than trying to fight them. Only then can we effectively evaluate these habits and make changes that feel right.

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is the act of tuning into one’s body when eating to slow down and appreciate the entire sensory experience so that eating is both enjoyable and peaceful. Intuitive eating incorporates the practice of mindful eating as one aspect of a much bigger picture of health.

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Intersectionality

While my business is currently focused on helping women and femmes with intuitive eating, I believe in the importance of including all people, especially marginalized groups, in the conversation. Intuitive eating and anti-diet messaging are for all people, regardless of gender, race, sex, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability, etc. As a thin, white, cis-gendered woman in this space, I make an effort to use my privilege as a platform for other’s voices to be heard and validated.

Anti-Diet

I know and am reminded in my work daily that diets, meal plans, and food rules create guilt and shame around eating, disconnect us from our body’s needs, and put an unhealthy focus on the achievement of a smaller body size. By abandoning diet mentality, we learn to eat for a healthy mindset and lifestyle, honoring the fact that life doesn’t ever fit into a set of strict rules or guidelines, so neither should your food.

Trust your body

Your feelings are always valid. My Instagram name was born out of my belief in trusting our initial reactions and instincts. Too often we try to suppress or invalidate our natural feelings to make them go away, only to have them resurface more aggressively. I believe in honoring your feelings and intuition so that you can learn to cope and self-soothe in healthy, productive ways that will serve you for life.